Associated Press

Hartley added a career-high six steals for the Huskies (23-0, 10 American Athletic Conference), who jumped out to a 41-11 halftime lead and never looked back.

Cincinnati, missing leading scorer Dayeesha Hollins for the remainder of the season due to a knee injury, took a 5-3 lead two minutes into the game before UConn took over for good. The Bearcats pulled within three before the Huskies went on a 22-0 run to break the game open.

The win was the Huskies’ 10th straight over Cincinnati and extended their current win streak to 29 games. Cincinnati has now lost two straight.

The Bearcats had held UConn to its second-lowest point total of the season (67 points) in the first meeting between the teams. They had no chance in this one. UConn forced 24 turnovers, and Cincinnati’s 29 points were the fewest the Huskies have allowed all season.

UConn held Cincinnati (9-12, 2-8) scoreless for 11 minutes and 22 seconds in which the Bearcats missed 11 shots and turned the ball over nine times. The Bearcats broke their scoreless streak with 45 seconds left in the half as UConn headed into halftime up 41-11. The Bearcats ended the first half with just five field goals and 15 turnovers in their lowest-scoring half of the season.

The Huskies’ quick passes and a balanced shooting attack kept the Bearcats defense off balance as Connecticut had 25 assists, keeping the team on pace to break the program season record. Six Huskies got on the board before halftime and five finished in double figures.

UConn started the second half with another 10-2 run and led by as much as 58 points in the second half. The Huskies surpassed their point total from their last meeting with Cincinnati with nearly 10 minutes still left in the game, with Jefferson and Hartley on the bench.